EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report)
A formal inspection of the fixed electrical installation, wiring, consumer unit, sockets and light fittings, by a qualified electrician. Required every 5 years for all private rented properties in England under the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020. Maximum civil penalty: £30,000 per property.
At a glance
- Renewal
- Every 5 years
- Max penalty
- £30,000 per property
- Who can sign
- Qualified electrician (NICEIC / NAPIT / STROMA)
- Law
- Electrical Safety Standards (PRS) (England) Regs 2020
Full guide
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Deadlines, fines and step-by-step compliance in our in-depth resource.
Open full guideWhy EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report) matters for landlords
EICR was the last big safety duty to land on English landlords (2020 for new tenancies, 2021 for all) and the £30,000 civil penalty per property is the highest non-HMO penalty in the compliance stack. Unlike gas, an EICR "failed" result doesn’t mean the property is unlet — but any C1 or C2 observation needs remedial work within 28 days and a written report confirming the remedy. The clock runs from the inspection date, not the report-delivery date.
Worked example
A landlord in Sheffield commissions an EICR on 4 March 2026 for a three-bed semi. The report comes back on 18 March with two C2 observations (loose live conductor, missing CPC continuity) and one C3 (recommended improvement). Under the Electrical Safety Standards (PRS) (England) Regulations 2020 the landlord has 28 days from the inspection date — not the report-delivery date — to complete remedial work and obtain written confirmation of remedy. They book the electrician for 30 March, work completes 1 April: that is day 28, just inside the window. Submitting the EICR to the council on request after the 28-day window without remedial confirmation is a £30,000 civil penalty per property.
Illustrative scenario based on real UK landlord casework patterns. Names and addresses are fictitious.
Common EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report) mistakes UK landlords make
- Counting the 28-day remedial window from the report-delivery date instead of the inspection date.
- Treating a C2 as advisory rather than mandatory — both C1 and C2 require remedial work inside the 28-day window.
- Accepting an EICR from an electrician who is not on a competent-person scheme (NICEIC, NAPIT, STROMA, ELECSA).
- Giving a copy to the tenant late or not at all — the regulations require a written report inside 28 days for existing tenants and before move-in for new tenants.
What to do this week
- Diary the next EICR for each property at the 4-year mark, not the 5-year mark, to allow re-test buffer if remedial work is needed.
- Confirm the engineer’s scheme registration before booking and store a screenshot in the property file.
- Set up a 28-day calendar entry from inspection date for any property with a C1 or C2 result.
- Issue the EICR to the tenant by dated email and store proof of receipt with the report itself.
Tracked inside LetCompliance
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Official sources
LetCompliance editorial reviews this entry every quarter against the sources above. Always confirm specific duties with a qualified solicitor or your local council.
Related terms
Compliance Score
A 0-100 score LetCompliance assigns to each property based on how up-to-date its safety certificates and tenancy documents are. 100 means Gas Safety, EICR, EPC, deposit protection and Right to Rent are all current; the score drops as deadlines approach and is recalculated daily.
Move-in Pack (Statutory)
The bundle of documents an English landlord must serve on a new tenant before — or at the very start of — a tenancy. Standard contents: latest Gas Safety Certificate (CP12), latest EICR, current EPC (band E or above), Deposit Prescribed Information, the latest GOV.UK How to Rent guide, and (from 1 May 2026) the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 Information Sheet. Failure to serve any required item invalidates a future Section 21 notice and weakens Section 8 ground 1 / 1A defences.
Section 21 Prerequisites
The bundle of pre-conditions a private landlord in England must satisfy before a Section 21 notice (Form 6A) is valid: deposit protected within 30 days plus Prescribed Information served, current Gas Safety Certificate served, current EICR served, and current GOV.UK How to Rent guide served on the tenant. Miss any one and the court will dismiss an accelerated possession claim outright.
EPC (Energy Performance Certificate)
A certificate rating a property's energy efficiency from A (most efficient) to G (least efficient). Rental properties in England must meet at least an E. Properties rated F or G cannot be legally let under MEES. An EPC is valid for 10 years. Maximum fine: £5,000 per property.
EPC C Proposal
A government proposal to raise the minimum EPC rating for rental properties in England from E to C. As of 2026 this is still a proposal, not law, but draft secondary legislation targets new tenancies by 2028 and all tenancies by 2030. Landlords should plan upgrades but verify current requirements on GOV.UK.
Eviction Ban
A government-imposed moratorium on enforcing possession orders, used during the COVID-19 pandemic. No eviction ban is in force as of 2026. Bailiffs can enforce possession orders once 14 days' notice has been given.